I thought about it, and then decided, how could I possibly go wrong with a new bacon each month? It was really the lapsang souchong that lured me. Stay tuned. My bacon starts in February! For more on my bacon suppliers, check out their site.

Open Thread is an arts & literary service organization based out of Pittsburgh, whose books, events, and online presence highlight emerging artists and writers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The Pittsburgh SPF is Pittsburgh’s annual small press festival, organized by Open Thread, sponsored by AIR: Artists Image Resource, and supported in part by The Heinz Endowments. The QT Pi(e) Project was one of the artisanal vendors on site.

The Pie Preparation

The Event

Erin was the head pie girl for this event as I (Quelcy) was away camping in Allegany State Park. Erin added new flags to our supplies and experimented with some new packaging ideas.

As inappropriate as it sounds, the Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh that still maintains a lot of locally owned shops and restaurants. It is also the host of the Farmers at the Firehouse market. Here is another glimpse at market procurements.

Don’t know the first thing about vegetable gardening? Never even picked up a spade? Fear not – A Garden Primer will cover all the basics, including which tools beginner gardeners will need, what and where to plant, and when to harvest. In addition, those taking part in the course will be given step-by-step instruction on everything from starting a compost to properly transplanting seedlings. Whether working with a spacious backyard or an apartment balcony, participants will receive specialized advice and guidance to get their vegetable gardens going whatever the space.